We leave Barnard Castle and decide to follow the Teesdale Way to Middleton-in-Tees. There are several reasons behind this decision. Firstly, following a recognised route means that, after yesterday’s travails, there will definitely be physical paths and it’s reasonably direct. It will also have variety, especially if we take the north side of the river where the way deviates from the riverbank for some of its course. Lastly, the waymark symbol for the route is a dipper. These are one of Richard’s favourite birds. He has been pointing out that the rivers are perfect dipper habitats since the upstream river Ure but they have proved elusive.
We walk down to the river and pick up the path. Initially, there are a fair few people about enjoying a Saturday morning walk. As we continue, the river is funnelled through a ravine and the path narrows and steepens. Eventually, the route leaves the river behind and goes up onto the hillside, which is scattered with delicate harebell flowers. This is a green, bucolic landscape with cows, sheep and our first herd of goats, thankfully safely fenced in.
The path dips back and forth between the riverbank and around 250 metres elevation, so there’s plenty of variety. At one point, we cross a large field of cows with an enormous bull sitting resplendently by the path. He pays us no heed whatsoever and continues to ruminate happily. We see a couple more massive bulls later in the day; these are both separated from the footpath by fences but, like their compatriot, they appear remarkably peaceful.
Around lunchtime, we meet a local man and his dog doing today’s route in reverse. He complains that the way is not close enough to the river, which he attributes to landowners protecting their fishing rights. This may or may not be the case, but the path certainly goes a long way from the river for quite a while. The route is, however, called the Teesdale Way, not the Teeside Way, so it seems fair enough.
Finally, we return to the river for the last few miles. Both of us are expecting an easy stroll into town. As a river rises, however, it is joined by several tributaries. The path, therefore, is stepped and goes down precipitously to reach each stream; the stream is then bridged or forded and the path then rises again. We do this repeatedly for about a mile. Some of the footbridges are rotting in the damp (unsurprisingly) and a causeway nearly tips us over when we walk accidentally in synch!
As we approach Middleton, the path does eventually flatten out. We pass a campsite with holidaymakers enjoying the weather, erecting tents and awnings , and fishing in the river. One family is splashing about in the shallows, very sensibly wearing wetsuits. We still haven’t seen any dippers but they are quiet, unobtrusive birds. You have to stop and watch to spot them and, regrettably, we can’t really do that as we walk. We climb a final hill into Middleton to stay in the Teesdale Hotel. It’s back up onto the moors tomorrow.
Total distance so far: 330 miles
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